Sobo Ramen

Joel Gussman

I brought my two kids here with my husband and we had a blast. It’s so family friendly. They have a unique concept where you order the ramen and then pick up appetizers cafeteria style, which is great if you (and your kids) are hungry. You can immediately start chowing down on delicious appetizers while they are preparing the ramen, which they bring out to you. The ramen is exquisite. There is clearly so much passion behind the food. I am not surprised in the slightest that they have won all these awards. And, then there is the cotton candy machine— frankly, I would bring my kids here just to go check out the cotton candy machine. Their level of happiness was ridiculous. And then the location and layout are great. I used to live a few blocks away before this renewal effort and it’s just crazy to see how the old ugly Firestone parking lot now has a super hip and beautifully decorated restaurant on the corner. I am willing to bet Sobu is going to become a Berkeley institution much like it has been in Oakland.

Klaudia Bogacz

big fan! the katsu ramen looked and tasted great. the veggie ramen was also good (wish it had more veggies, but loved the 3 different types of tofu and corn). staff was super kind and the thai tea was THE BEST!! i didn't even think i liked thai tea until i took the first sip and was gagged

Angel Kim

While I haven’t been to the Oakland location, sobo ramen Berkeley is a great place to grab lunch between classes or with colleagues at the office. All their ramen is hot, fresh, and flavorful. Their staff are professional and kind, and I see the owner a lot. He is kind to his regulars (me!) They constantly add new seasonal things to the menu, so it’s always interesting. I recommend getting on their rewards to save money on ramen and check out their seasonal offerings. They also have multiple gender neutral single stall restrooms, so it’s incredibly queer inclusive. Props!!

THARUKA DILSHANI

I’m not sure if they opened recently bc I found this place while I was on the street and had not seen it before but I DEFINITELYYYYY recommend this place. Loved the food and atmosphere and the customer service. I got the curry Katsu ramen and it was delicious!! And most importantly I loved the genuineness of the workers here. Thank you for a delicious meal I will definitely be coming back for moreeee!!

Harsh Rana

Really good ramens. Specially do try the Katsu (I loved it!) Will definitely come to try more varieties. Ambience was also great with kind and greeting staff. 🫶🏻

Athena Ngo

Super yummy, good portion, I like the inside a lot, w the vibes and architecture. Food was quick and service was nice, the front people are warm and welcome and food taste delicious. Found a new gem at berk, Def come back fs fs

Maya Kay

This place is perfect for a date night! Once you walk in you see the beautiful decorations and amazing lighting! I love the vibes and how each table had flowers and candles! The owners and staff are super nice and the food is even better! Each meal we had was so tender and flavorful! They also have exotic beer and saki! We had a great experience and highly recommend!

We came to eat dinner with our family here, it was our first time trying ramen in Berkeley. The food was delicious. The ramen has such a unique taste, extremely delicious. They have sides you can also get which is amazing while you wait for your ramen. The service was fast and easy. The staff is super friendly and helpful. The vibe inside the restaurant is so welcoming.Would definitely recommend to give them a try.

Delicious noodles, service was nice, place was great! One of the best ramen spots I’ve tried near Berkeley. If they had a vegetarian option for the student special, would be better/more inclusive, but they have lots of other vegetarian options too! portions are a smidge small. 5 stars regardless.

The food was cooked to perfection and delicious, paired with great service. A very satisfied customer!

Moni Pacheco

We came to eat dinner with our family here, it was our first time trying ramen in Berkeley. The food was delicious. The ramen has such a unique taste, extremely delicious. They have sides you can also get which is amazing while you wait for your ramen. The service was fast and easy. The staff is super friendly and helpful. The vibe inside the restaurant is so welcoming.Would definitely recommend to give them a try.

Kathy L

Delicious noodles, service was nice, place was great! One of the best ramen spots I’ve tried near Berkeley. If they had a vegetarian option for the student special, would be better/more inclusive, but they have lots of other vegetarian options too! portions are a smidge small. 5 stars regardless.

New Ramen shop in downtown Berkeley. We came when it just opened on Saturday morning. The restaurant is nice with high ceiling , clean and high table and chair, regular table. it is kind like open kitchen concept when you can see the chef preparing the order. The menu is on the TV screen. your order your ramen and they will give you a tray. they have side dishes like seaweed, edamame, egg, skewer, and tempura. I can say the ramen price is cheaper compare to most of ramen shop. They have few ramen flavor, tsukemen and Matcha Coconut Ramen which I am not sure if I would like to try. We ordered Mayu Black Garlic Ramen (Spicy), Shokupan Katsu, tempura and skewers. You pay at the cashier after you order. The Mayu Black Garlic ramen is good but I think it need more Garlic flavor. The noodle is interesting ad this is the first time I have the ramen noodle with this texture. it is a bit lit soft spaghetti. The Shokupan ramen is ok. I think it need more curry flavor. The Katsu is yummy. The tempura and skewer are ok. The service is ok. To be honest they are not really friendly especially the chef. She walked around without greeting. When we left there is no greeting like usually you find at Ramen restaurant. For now it is kind of 3.5 star for me. The restroom is clean and the hand washing area is unique. Parking is on the street.

I had some excellent mazemen in LA and I was really excited to see that Sobo served it. The flavor was great, and the pickled cucumbers really added to the taste. We went right as they opened at 5pm. The interior is stunning and clean, it really enhanced my experience. However, I found the portion to be rather small, especially for over $16. I also wish there were other seasonings available, like additional spice, vinegar, salt, etc.

Dharma M

New Ramen shop in downtown Berkeley. We came when it just opened on Saturday morning. The restaurant is nice with high ceiling , clean and high table and chair, regular table. it is kind like open kitchen concept when you can see the chef preparing the order. The menu is on the TV screen. your order your ramen and they will give you a tray. they have side dishes like seaweed, edamame, egg, skewer, and tempura. I can say the ramen price is cheaper compare to most of ramen shop. They have few ramen flavor, tsukemen and Matcha Coconut Ramen which I am not sure if I would like to try. We ordered Mayu Black Garlic Ramen (Spicy), Shokupan Katsu, tempura and skewers. You pay at the cashier after you order. The Mayu Black Garlic ramen is good but I think it need more Garlic flavor. The noodle is interesting ad this is the first time I have the ramen noodle with this texture. it is a bit lit soft spaghetti. The Shokupan ramen is ok. I think it need more curry flavor. The Katsu is yummy. The tempura and skewer are ok. The service is ok. To be honest they are not really friendly especially the chef. She walked around without greeting. When we left there is no greeting like usually you find at Ramen restaurant. For now it is kind of 3.5 star for me. The restroom is clean and the hand washing area is unique. Parking is on the street.

Stephanie Lau

I had some excellent mazemen in LA and I was really excited to see that Sobo served it. The flavor was great, and the pickled cucumbers really added to the taste. We went right as they opened at 5pm. The interior is stunning and clean, it really enhanced my experience. However, I found the portion to be rather small, especially for over $16. I also wish there were other seasonings available, like additional spice, vinegar, salt, etc.

Good: Not usually a ramen fan but spicy mayu was really good. Perfect spice level and noodles were solid. Bad: Poor service. Had to wait over 40 minutes and people were clearing dirty tables themself for a place to sit. Egg was overcooked and not marinated well

Gary Su

Good: Not usually a ramen fan but spicy mayu was really good. Perfect spice level and noodles were solid. Bad: Poor service. Had to wait over 40 minutes and people were clearing dirty tables themself for a place to sit. Egg was overcooked and not marinated well

The black garlic ramen had way too much black pepper in it. The Tonkatsu curry ramen was pretty bad too, though the Tonkatsu was really tender and crunchy. I'm not sure what their more classic ramens taste like, but I hope they are better. Service was great and the decorations were nice.

The skewers are good, but deceptively priced. note that the price is for each skewer, not the whole plate, which is a bit ridiculous because the other sides are priced by the boat. The noodles, however, taste like packaged spaghetti. i don't know how they managed that, because instant ramen noodles taste more like ramen. the broth is ok but a far cry from a nice, full bodied soy-based garlic broth. you can't even choose oil level and whatnot. so if you're expecting a ramen experience like japan, go somewhere else. this place is gentrified anyway

Should be as good as it looks, but way too salty. 30% more salty than necessary. Great venue and concept.

Finally I now know what cast iron tastes like. Hipsters have described the taste that it adds to food. But now I have had a chance to isolate and have it personally. Perhaps I've misinterpreted, and what they're putting in the Muya Ramen is actually activated charcoal. Yes of course! Activated charcoal is certainly the next far-reaching trendy ingredient if you're a bottom floor restaurant in a new apartment building. I'm sure Black Rock was required to add a trendy restaurant to it's new apartment to solidify it's commitment to culture. They chose a great look-a-like with beaming staff, but it appears they never tried their food. Both my girlfriend and I ate less than half our bowls before we admitted it wasn't getting better. She had the Japanese Curry Ramen for the record. If you're looking for good ramen go to Tada, Tsuraya, or Noka in Oakland. Last thing for the Tada staff: please remove the assembly stickers from your trees.

Robert C. Romano

Should be as good as it looks, but way too salty. 30% more salty than necessary. Great venue and concept.

Lucian Novosel

Finally I now know what cast iron tastes like. Hipsters have described the taste that it adds to food. But now I have had a chance to isolate and have it personally. Perhaps I've misinterpreted, and what they're putting in the Muya Ramen is actually activated charcoal. Yes of course! Activated charcoal is certainly the next far-reaching trendy ingredient if you're a bottom floor restaurant in a new apartment building. I'm sure Black Rock was required to add a trendy restaurant to it's new apartment to solidify it's commitment to culture. They chose a great look-a-like with beaming staff, but it appears they never tried their food. Both my girlfriend and I ate less than half our bowls before we admitted it wasn't getting better. She had the Japanese Curry Ramen for the record. If you're looking for good ramen go to Tada, Tsuraya, or Noka in Oakland. Last thing for the Tada staff: please remove the assembly stickers from your trees.

Jane P

The black garlic ramen had way too much black pepper in it. The Tonkatsu curry ramen was pretty bad too, though the Tonkatsu was really tender and crunchy. I'm not sure what their more classic ramens taste like, but I hope they are better. Service was great and the decorations were nice.

Bob Birdsong

The skewers are good, but deceptively priced. note that the price is for each skewer, not the whole plate, which is a bit ridiculous because the other sides are priced by the boat. The noodles, however, taste like packaged spaghetti. i don't know how they managed that, because instant ramen noodles taste more like ramen. the broth is ok but a far cry from a nice, full bodied soy-based garlic broth. you can't even choose oil level and whatnot. so if you're expecting a ramen experience like japan, go somewhere else. this place is gentrified anyway

Aesthetically looks great but was the Mazemen Ramen I ordered Mazemen no. The noodles were akin to rice noodles than having the alkaline bounce and chewiness of a normal ramen noodle. It felt like chinese bowl of noodles little ramen flavor. I really hoped I’d find a new ramen option but probs won’t be giving this a chance again. Never have I’ve seen american bread pickles and pickled red onions in a “japanese” bowl.

Andrew Uyesugi

Aesthetically looks great but was the Mazemen Ramen I ordered Mazemen no. The noodles were akin to rice noodles than having the alkaline bounce and chewiness of a normal ramen noodle. It felt like chinese bowl of noodles little ramen flavor. I really hoped I’d find a new ramen option but probs won’t be giving this a chance again. Never have I’ve seen american bread pickles and pickled red onions in a “japanese” bowl.

I had a serious allergic reaction after dining here due to the lack of allergen information (peanuts) and untrained staff. No allergens were listed on the menu or any visible signage. When my partner asked about the specific ramen, the staff told her they didn’t think it contained any peanuts. She asked for a second opinion from another staff member who confirmed it did. While having an obvious reaction in the restaurant, there was also no follow up by any staff member. Very disappointed.

Luke Pusateri

I had a serious allergic reaction after dining here due to the lack of allergen information (peanuts) and untrained staff. No allergens were listed on the menu or any visible signage. When my partner asked about the specific ramen, the staff told her they didn’t think it contained any peanuts. She asked for a second opinion from another staff member who confirmed it did. While having an obvious reaction in the restaurant, there was also no follow up by any staff member. Very disappointed.